Distance on GPS map doesn't match with exercise summary

[Andyn1970]

Hi all

Firstly love the Fitbit Versa does everything I need also the app is great.

BUT over the last couple of weeks the distance recorded by the app is way off. 

I use it connected to my Samsung Galaxy S9+ and its always been very accurate to a tenth of a mile or less. 

But on my last few runs of about 3.4 miles it can be a whole mile out, but just the distance the route it records is spot on but the mile points are in the wrong place for example it recorded 2.44 miles in 30.29.

My wife who also has a Versa connected to an IPhone recorded 3.43 miles in 30.30 this is correct and matches our pace of about 9.30/m

Prior to the last weeks it has always been almost exactly the same as my wife as we run together. 

I have Re started the Versa and the phone, I have cleared the data in the Fitbit app and I have also uninstalled the fitbit app. 

Same result its not always out the same, a couple of runs back it got to 2.89m on the same route. Then on Tuesday it was spot on. 

Any ideas it seems like a small thing but not having an accurate record of your work turns out to be extremely frustrating.

Anyone else had this? 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Lemmin]

3.9.1 (29243443)

[LostEchoes]

@Lemmin 
Could you please check on your fitbit.com dashboard if the Elevation Gain is still reported as = 0 (zero) ?

p.s. version 3.10 is the latest one but not everyone gets it at the same day.

[Andyn1970]

Today I borrowed my sons IPhone 8 uninstalled fitbit from my Android, and linked my Versa to his IPhone. 

Then tonight me and the wife have just done out 4 mile route and guess what! It's spot on on my watch exactly 4.00miles on my wife's 4.02miles so near as doesn't matter. 

 

 both IPhone 8 my lads black one is running 3.10 my wife's hasn't updated yet so is still 3.9.

It is without doubt an Android app problem. 

I have Re installed back onto my S9 and Re paired the watch. At the moment it is only running V3.8 downloaded from the play store about 1 hour ago. Says no updates available even though it was on 3.9.1 previously.

Either way it works perfectly on IOS but is junk on Android. 

[LostEchoes]

@Andyn1970 

It's been a weird day today with all these updates rolling back then released again and then ...disappearing. I don't know what's going on...

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Fitbit-app-v3-10-for-Android-Bugs-fixes/td-p/3801461/pag...

[MarioDings]

Took a walk this afternoon. Track distance is correct. Summary isn't.

Android phone fitbit version 3.9.

problem has nothing to do with stride length or watch. It’s the app on the android phone.

 

[Lemmin]

@LostEchoes  elevation gain of 12m (it is a pretty flat run along the sea front). However, the previous run (three days ago) was 0m, and the one four days ago reported as 59m - all basically the same run.

[LostEchoes]

@Lemmin 
OK thank you.
I don't know what this could mean, but me and other people are always getting zero elevation gain, no matter what.

[Lemmin]

@LostEchoes  To me, 0 elevation gain would imply it isn't using GPS data, and is just counting steps and using stride length to estimate distance and pace. 

For some runs (say about 20% of mine), the watch seems to lose connection to the phone for some or all of the run (I see "connecting" in the top left corner, rather than a distance) and it's these that have a 0 elevation gain.

The phone is still getting a GPS signal since apps like Runkeeper and google fit accurately report the run, but the fitbit app doesn't have the data, or it isn't being passed on to the watch.

I suspect even a partial loss of signal means the dashboard reports 0 elevation gain. I always wait for my watch to say "connected" before I click the start button, but possibly if you started running before the phone had acquired a GPS signal then the app might not have GPS data for the entire run and the dashboard would report 0.

This looks like it might have happened with my run on the 10th - the GPS trace only covers about half the run, and although the elevation trace goes up and down, the elevation gain is listed as 0.

I'll go for another run this afternoon and see if I'm still getting accurate distance.

[SunsetRunner]

Just contacted CS to ask for a refund.

The answer: they only give refunds within 45 days of purchase. What?!

So I have a device that doesn't do what they promise but since it's been more than 45 days I won't get any compensation. This sucks!

[LostEchoes]

@Lemmin 
Thanks for the feedback.
However, on my tests / walks / bike rides I always wait for the GPS to connect (I do not have a Versa, but an Inspire HR) and so far my map trails always seem OK, without gaps.
When the same data (Fitbit's data) are uploaded to Strava and Endomondo, the elevation gain seems to be calculated correctly, so I really don't know why me and some other people are getting Gain=0 on the Fitbit dashboard. It's like Fitbit has the data but the result of a very simple mathematical equation does not work and reports always a flat zero.
Have a look at this if you d' like - it might be indirectly related to the whole connected GPS issue, but I'm not sure:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Fitbit-com-Dashboard/Inaccurate-Cardio-and-All-Elevation-Gains-0m/m-...

[Andyn1970]

OK I have given up with Customer service emails. 

They are either manned by total idiots or they are manned by quite clever people that like to see just how much they can wind someone up. 

I think I have 4 emails now telling me that because my wife may be shorter than me this will affect the GPS run recording. 

On my last reply I specifically stated do not try to tell me my wife's height has anything to do with it but straight away on the email. There it is. 

Oh and they tel me I'm not on the latest version of the Fitbit app I'm on 3.8. But I don't have the option to update on the play store. 

I can't deal with them any more because I can not be polite in the face of so much stupidity. 

So they have won.

@#&*~ you Fitbit worst customer service I have ever experienced. 

[astiesi]

Just wanted to confirm, 3.10 still has the problem. 3.2 mile run registered as nearly 4 miles via Fitbit. As expected, still no fix in place.

[Jackos]

Still on 3.9.1 in Sweden and still garbage. 14.2K run this morning reported by fitbit as 12.8k.  Back to using runkeeper for now while I wait for a fix or a good blackfriday deal. 

Main reason for posting is to make sure this thread doesnt disappear until we have a fix.

[Bertie]

Hi everyone, I've been having the same issues with GPS inaccuracy with my Versa 2 but I have an iPhone X so the issue isn't limited just to Android users.  I tried a bunch of the tips from the forum for fixing this, including manually setting my stride length, making sure location services were always on for the Fitbit app, resetting my Versa 2 before the run, making sure that I have the latest app and firmware versions installed, and making sure that the Versa 2 had a GPS connection, but they did not help.  I ran a 10K last Sunday hoping to break an hour and I knew my Versa 2 was off because the mile notifications were coming before (and by the end pretty far before) the mile markers on the ATF-measured course.  According to my Versa 2 I ran a 9:27 pace, which would have put me under 59 minutes but my actual finish time was 1:00:16.

Today before my run I did the following:  removed the Versa 2 from the app, deleted the app from my phone, shut down my phone, did a factory reset of the Versa 2, restarted my phone, reinstalled the app, reconnected the Versa 2, confirmed that location services were always on and my stride length was manually set.  Then I went to a distance-marked trail with my Versa 2 on one wrist and my husband's Garmin Forerunner on the other and ran a 5 mile loop.  The Garmin showed that I ran 5.00 miles at 10:03 pace, proving that the GPS signal was working fine on the trail.  My Versa 2 told me I had run 5.17 miles at 9:45 pace.

With this information I called Fitbit's customer support and told the very nice representative that I was experiencing GPS inaccuracies.  She asked if I had tried any troubleshooting tips and I gave her the laundry list.  She put me on hold for a few minutes then came back and told me that this was a known issue and that Fitbit is actively working on a solution.  I asked if this meant that they couldn't ship me a new Versa 2 that would work and she confirmed that the problem is not with my Versa 2 but is a software issue.  I asked if it would be a fix through an app update or would it require a firmware update and she said that it would be fixed through a future firmware update.  I noted that Fitbit had just done a firmware update in October and asked if she had a timeframe for when this fix might occur and she said that she did not but hopefully it would be fixed soon.

So the good news is we are not crazy - this actually is an issue with Fitbit and it's not due to stride length or GPS signal or height (?).  The bad news is they don't have any estimate for a fix.

[MarioDings]

It’s not in the device or phone. It’s not gps.

 it’s all in the apps. There’s nothing wrong with the device, phone or gps. Check out the export file. look at the TCX-file.

Yesterday I had a 5 km run. The app on the device said 4 km. And on the phone said 4 km. 
On Runkeeper it said 4 km. BUT when I “edited” (doing nothing) Runkeeper changed it automatically to 5km and put the 1km signs correct. 
today I’m gonna prove myself by using my own selfmade app and prove that it will calculate it correctly.

Moderator edit: format

[LostEchoes]

@MarioDings 
Hi there.
So, if I'm getting this right, the TCX file that Fitbit creates is correct, and this is why Strava and Runkeeper change the distance to the correct one when the said activities are "edited" there ?

This is still confusing, though.
- If the TCX file that Fitbit generates (with every GPS activity) actually does have the correct data, then how come when this file is automatically uploaded to Strava / Runkeeper (if we have set this up like this) the distance is still wrong there, too,  and we need to "edit" the activity on Runkeeper and Strava (clicking the "distance" link) for them to change the stats to the right one ?

I would understand this if we were talking about an issue with Fitbit's app, accepting that while it does generate the correct TCX file, the app itself is forced by some bug and reports faulty / incorrect distance, but when uploaded to Strava / Runkeeper, the distance would be correct from the beginning, without the need to edit the said activities. 

The need to edit the uploaded activity even on 3rd party apps for the distance to be re-calculated correctly, makes this a head-scratcher, at least for me.
This makes me think that maybe the TCX file does not have all the correct data.
So when the TCX file is straightly-uploaded (meaning "as is") to 3rd party apps they take everything as Fitbit reports them, but when we edit these activities, Strava and other apps "see" that within the TCX file something is wrong and they use the individual stats (pace, speed, stride, GPS, etc) to make their own calculations.

Just my 2 cents. I'm not even sure how all this works, and the lack of transparency and help from the Devs is disheartening. 

[nicholasBhu]

Just to add, for me, Strava initially corrected the distance right but has not for a week now.  Only on the first few times it worked.

[LostEchoes]

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@nicholasBhu wrote:

Just to add, for me, Strava initially corrected the distance right but has not for a week now.  Only on the first few times it worked.

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You mean by clicking on the "Distance" link on Strava web version ?

[nicholasBhu]

Yes.  Does not work for me anymore.  Over reports by a fair long way.

[LostEchoes]

Here is my last bike ride uploaded (automatically) to Strava (I have enabled the Fitbit -> Strava auto sync).

This 1st screenshot is the original ride, as it was auto-synced to Strava:


This 2nd screenshot is the same ride, after I clicked on the "distance (?)" link (on Strava.com )

Now maybe we should also consider that Bike rides do not even use the Stride length, right ?
I kind of think / remember that the "changes" are bigger when Stride is also taken in as a factor (meaning in Walk, Run activities).